For Friends

We are getting ready to head south to spend some time with some friends and see some sites that are really special to me so I whipped up this card to leave behind to say thanks to the friends we'll be staying with.

Deets:  dp:  stamping up, stamps:  paper pretties. Pin It

Twins!!

A nurse that I work with just found out she is having twins and I couldn't be happier for her!  Having twins myself, I know all the the double joys and blessings and yes, sometimes frustrations that go along with having 2 babies at the same time.  I can't wait to watch the journey that is before them as they undergo this big change in their lives!!!  I thought I'd whip up a quick card for her and this is what I came up with:

Deets:  stamps:  stamping bella, dp:  wrmk, cuttlebug embossing folder, fiskars punch and copic markers.
Thanks for dropping by! Pin It

Peaceful Places

Hi Everybody!  Its a well known fact that our society this century is overcome with stress.  There are overwhelming numbers of people experiencing stress related illness such as ulcers, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.  I thought today I'd share a little stress relief technique for you along with some decorating inspiration.
It is medically proven that if you practice this breathing exercise 10 - 15 min/day, at least 4 times a week it will actually calm your nervous system, resulting in less stress reaction in your body.  So here we go:
Breathe in with your diaphram (your abdomen should move but NOT your chest) to the count of 4:
1 One Thousand,
2 One Thousand,
3 One Thousand,
4 One Thousand.
Hold for 2 seconds and breathe out for the count of 4 again:
1 One Thousand,
2 One Thousand,
3 One Thousand,
4 One Thousand.
Try it, see if it works for you and let me know.
Now, for some decorating peace.  I have been collecting these pictures that made me feel peaceful:

Funny, I never realized it until now but all of these places seem to be outside at home.  Not some exotic island somewhere (although I'm pretty sure that could bring some stress releif too ;0).  Isn't that how it should be?  Our home should be our haven from the stresses of the world but sometimes, its our home that causes our stress.  What can you do this week to create a peaceful place in your home or yard?
Do you already have a place that makes you feel at peace?  A getaway where you can rejuvenate and breathe?  If you do, leave me a link, I'd love to hop on by and visit.
Until next time,
Breathe. Pin It

Skateboarding & Falling

We headed out to the skate park to watch Isaiah do some skateboarding and falling- lol!  He is loving skateboarding lately but the falling part isn't always so fun...

And here comes the falling part:

OUCH!!!:

And that wraps up this eventful day of daredevilling. Pin It

The Baseball Season

This year the three youngest boys played baseball.  I was SO impressed with how much they learned. 
Here is Eli in his new baseball cap:

And some pics of Benjamin:

Batting:

An action shot:

On the bench waiting for his turn:

His team pic:

and the time when things weren't so exciting:

We are really lucky in Kindersley to have a beautiful ball park that hosts the Canada Cup Baseball finals.  The boys got to play their final game of the season there and they really felt like champions!
Here is Jacob as back catcher:

Doing a great job:

Jacob did a really great job this game.  He played first base and caught a ball to get a runner out at first, hit a home run

and also caught a pop fly to get a runner out while he was on the pitcher's mound!

Eli was on his game too:

Here he is on first waiting to run:

Playing 3rd:

Eli's turn for back catcher:

And finally, what game would be complete without hot dogs?!!!

Thanks for sharing our season! Pin It

Saving Money

In todays economic situation I find myself reading more and more about how to save money, cut corners, and get ahead.  In our discussions, rather than deciding what brand of jeans is better we find ourselves trying to decide whether it is better to save for the children's education or for our own retirement.  Small decisions today affect our lives BIG time tomorrow.
This brings us to another topic I'll touch on occassionally here on my blog that I hope will be interesting and helpful for you.  Everyday Finances.
I have found a couple of new ways to save money that I'd like to share with you.  I've been reading on several blogs lately about Shaklee products.  The things that attracted me to these products was that not only were they much less expensive than the products I am currently buying but they are also all natural, containing no harmful  chemicals.  I decided to check it out and I am amazed and very pleased with the results.  The products I purchased are the H2, the dishwashing detergent and the scour off, along with the 3 spray bottles.
I'm going to direct you to this post if you would like more information on these products and how they work but sufficeth to say, I had the same results Cassity did!
Another great way to save money I've found is the Great Value brand of products at Walmart.  I know that some people think Walmart is trying to take over the world and if they are going to continue to offer lower prices than anyone else, I say - more power to them.  I have tried several of the Great Value brand products and have found them very comparable to the name brands.  SOS pads are 2.00 more per box than the same Great Value option.  Mini pizzas - that I send the boys for lunch are .50 each, MUCH cheaper than the comparable McCains brand.
Next time you're in Walmart check out some of these products and give them a try.  They'll put a smile on your face and some extra $ in your pocket.
Be sure to let me know what you think, if you've tried any of the products above or if you have any other $ saving tips you'd like to share! Pin It

Father's Day Card

Wowsa, nothing like posting a father's day card a month late - LOL!  I actually had made this card quite a while ago.  I'm pretty sure the inspiration was from SCS but not sure who to give the credit to - sorry!
This card was made with an old SU set, I can't even remember the name of it but I was pretty happy with how it turned out:

It has been such a long time since I embossed anything!  I remember how much fun I had embossing EVERYTHING when I first started stamping.  So how 'bout you?  Do you like embossing?  I'd love to hear what you think or see a pic of something you embossed so leave me a link and I'll hop on over and check it out! Pin It

Fun Times @ The Carnival

A few weeks ago, Eli and Jacob were invited to a their first sleep over so that evening we took Isaiah and Benjamin to the Carnival they had in town.  Before I tell you about the carnival, I just have to say how much we love it here in Kindersley.  It is just over a year ago that we moved here and we are just so impressed with this place.  For instance, there was a great trade show in town that brought in lots of companies that are not usually available here, the night after that ended there was a drive in set up in the Walmart parking lot.  The following day the carnival came to town and we just celebrated Canada day and Kindersley did a great job with that.   The fireworks that followed were AMAZING - better than any I had seen in a city anywhere (except Disney - but that's a pretty tough act to follow!).  Having moved from a town half this size where there was NOTHING to do at all, we are just so thrilled at what a great job the town does of offering things to do,  a great variety of activities for kids and lots of great summer activities along with the new multiplex facility that will hold an ice rink, swimming pool, performing arts center and more.  For a town of 5000 we are so happy to call Kindersley home.
Now, onto the carnival.  It was really nice to have time with just Isaiah and Benjamin - it was such a rare combination to get the oldest and the youngest alone together and the fact that the twins were having fun at a sleep over alleviated any guilt of them missing out on the carnival - LOL!
Here are the two of them on their way into the fair.

 There is that ride that goes all the way to the top and then drops suddenly several times.  Ya, well that is the first on Benjamin wanted to go on.  Now, he has never been to the carnival before so had no idea what to expect from this ride.  We also did not know how he'd react so we were a little hesitant and interested to see how he would do.  Here is the face before the ride started:



And now the first reaction to the first drop:

 You can see that Isaiah is about as scared as Benjamin - LOL!!!  Things quickly turned though:

Isaiah still felt a little pensive but Benjamin thought this was great fun.  Seeing his reaction had Andy and I laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt - LOL!
By the end, they were both smiling - or was it that they were smiling because it was the end?!

Then we headed over to another ride where Benjamin rode a "hog":

On to the spinning Monkeys:

Down the three story slide:

The bumper cars:

The ferris wheel:

And finally MY favorite ride - the Merry Go Round:

No trip to the fair would be complete without Daddy winning him a big teddy bear:

We had a great time at the fair, I can't wait for next year!!! Pin It

Front Doors

I have a TON of personal stuff to share with you:  pics from the carnival and Isaiah & Elizabeth's grad but in addition to that I've been thinking about how to make my blog more interesting.  I, of course, will continue to post paper crafting projects but I thought it might be fun to incorporate some other areas of interest into my blog and one of mine is interior decorating so I'm going to start this series with an appropriate subject - the front door.  I've heard that this is a pretty important feature in the exterior of your home.  There are lots of design experts that say your front door should be painted a different and darker color than your home. 
Here are some of my favs in no particular order:

So what do you think of these doors?  Which one is your fav?  Have any front door decorating tips you'd like to share?
If you have a great front door, one that is particularly interesting, one that has been recently painted or decorated, or one that you just think is special I'd LOVE to see it.  You can upload your pic here:

Can't wait to see what your friends and family see when they arrive at your home. Pin It